Golf ball

• US 5,836,831 A
• Filed: 08/02/1996
• Issued: 11/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Dalton, Jeffrey L., Scolamiero, Stephen K., Reid, Walter L. Jr., Stanton, Lawrence E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US08/691,756
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 473/354, 473/358
• US Class Current: 473/354
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2037/085 liquid, jellylike
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2037/087 Wound cores or layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0048 Melt flow rate [MFR]
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0053 Thread wound
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0062 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0069 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/08 Liquid cores; Plastic cores
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/023 having a plurality of grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/0022 Multi-cavity moulds B29C33/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/027 having an axis of symmetry B29C43/102 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/146 for making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2009/06 SB polymers, i.e. butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/00 Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2621/00 Use of unspecified rubbers for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 Balls
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/545 Football balls

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards the novel use of polyether-amide block copolymer to form center core shells for use in liquid filled golf balls. Wound golf balls of the present invention which employ liquid filled centers formed from polyether-amide block copolymer exhibit the same or superior in-play characteristics such as initial velocity as compared to conventional wound golf balls.

Claims

1. A wound golf ball comprising:

(a) a liquid filled center;

(b) a layer of windings surrounding said liquid filled center; and

(c) a cover

wherein said liquid filled center comprises a center core shell, said center core shell comprising a polyether-amide block copolymer and having a seal on a portion of the outer surface thereof.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center core shell comprises a seamless sphere.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center core shell has a uniform wall thickness.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center core shell has a specific gravity of about 0.70 to about 3.0 gm/cc.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center core shell has a flex modulus of about 3,000 psi to about 10,000 psi.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center core shell has a hardness of about 50 to about 85 Shore A.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the liquid comprises a salt solution.

8. The golf ball of claim 7 wherein the liquid comprises a sodium bromide solution or a potassium iodide solution.

9. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the liquid has a specific gravity of from about 1.0 to about 1.56 gm/cm³.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the seal is formed by melting a portion of the center core shell.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center core shell further comprises a filler material, said filler material being present in an amount of from about 5 to about 70 percent by weight.

12. The golf ball of claim 11, wherein the filler material is barium sulfate, zinc oxide, carbon black, kaolin, magnesium aluminum silicate, silica, iron oxide, glass spheres or wollastonite.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center core shell further comprises a filler material, said filler material being present in an amount of less than about 45 percent by weight.

14. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center core shell further comprises a plasticizer.

15. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center core shell has a specific gravity of from about 0.80 to about 2.20.

16. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center core shell has a diameter of less than about 1.25 inches.

17. A wound golf ball comprising:

(a) a liquid filled center;

(b) a layer of windings surrounding said liquid filled center; and

(c) a cover

wherein said liquid filled center comprises a center core shell, said center core shell consisting essentially of a polyether-amide block copolymer and having a seal on a portion of the outer surface thereof.